Trends in Medical Imaging at RSNA 2015

As one of the largest medical shows in the world, the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA) 2015 meeting has a lot of ground to cover, including all facets of medical imaging, including the latest advances in cardiac CT, MRI, angiography, echo, advanced visualization and 3-D printing. Here is a summary of the key trends and new technology.

Watch the video Editor's Choice of the Most Innovative New Technology at RSNA 2015. This is my recap on some of the most interesting new imaging technologies displayed that may offer a glimpse into the future standards of care. It includes big advances in cardiac MRI, cath lab chronic total occlusion (CTO) navigation software, advancements in premium echo systems, new point of care pocet ultrasound systems, and a cool new way to visualize 3-D datasets in true, high-quality 3-D.

A major overarching trend observed was the rise of enterprise imaging and the movement away from disparate PACS and departmental systems such as cardiovascular information systems (CVIS or cardiac PACS). This movement has gained a lot of momentum due to healthcare reform and the need to for centralized repositories for patient data and images that enable greater access to the data.

A Siemens-sponsored hands-on-training session at TCT 2018 that instructed interventional cardiologists how to use an intra-cardiac echo (ICE) catheter to image the chambers inside the heart with a catheter based ultrasound imaging system. Regular training is needed to build customer satisfaction, especially in light of regular staff turnover.